- Snogging many partners almost quadruples a teenager's risk of contracting two potentially deadly infections, researchers warned today.
According to a study in the British Medical Journal, kissing with tongues was a major factor in spreading the meningococcal bacteria, which can cause meningitis (an inflammation of the lining around the brain and spinal cord), and septicaemia (a form of blood poisoning).
French kissing with at least seven partners in a fortnight increased the risk of contracting meningitis or septicaemia fourfold, researchers said.
They found that teenagers who regularly attended religious ceremonies were at less risk of contracting meningococcal disease...
— Larry, Attack Monkey, Light Reading